The Paladin: DnD 5e Class Guide (Updated May 2024)
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In the dark depths of the forest, Kaelin’s sword was the only source of illumination, the blade glowing with the holy radiance of Elios. Gripping the hilt of the weapon tightly in her gauntlets, she penetrated deeper into the woods, menacing whispers drifting all around her. Eyes closed in prayer, she conjured forth a shield of pure white light, just as the first of the wraith burst from the ground, ethereal claws raking at the magical barrier. Kaelin stood resolute among the swarming ranks of the undead, a beacon of light in a world of darkness.
Table of Contents
- What is a Paladin in DnD 5e?
- What is a Paladin’s primary ability score?
- What is a Paladin’s hit die and hit points?
- What are Paladins proficient in?
- What equipment do Paladins start with?
- What unique features do Paladins have?
- How does Paladin spellcasting work?
- What are the Paladin subclasses?
- What species are best for Paladins?
- How do you roleplay a Paladin?
- What DnD 5e sourcebooks do Paladins appear in?
What is a Paladin in DnD 5e?
Holy warriors tasked with defending the will of the gods through a combination of might and magic, Paladins stand as a pillar among the iconic DnD 5e classes. Bound by sacred oaths which guide every facet of their existence, Paladins are often viewed as stereotypical “do gooders” by many players. In reality, they are far more complex and offer a range of build options and roleplaying potential. A Paladin can indeed be a defender of the downtrodden, but they can also be avenging angels, compassionate healers, blood soaked crusaders and vengeful warriors who channel their divine powers to smite foes and shield allies.
Unlike other martial classes, such as Fighters (who tend to focus purely on combat abilities) and Barbarians (who rely on their rage in battle), Paladins are also adept in magic. In this sense, they’re somewhat similar to Clerics, who are holy warriors with magical abilities, although Paladins are far more durable and better able to handle combat than their priestly counterparts.
Below is the Paladin class table, detailing their proficiency bonuses, key features and spell slots.
| Paladin Class Table | Spell Slots per Spell Level | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | ||||
| 1st | +2 | Divine Sense, Lay on Hands | – | – | – | – | – | ||||
| 2nd | +2 | Fighting Style, Spellcasting, Divine Smite | 2 | – | – | – | – | ||||
| 3rd | +2 | Divine Health, Sacred Oath | 3 | – | – | – | – | ||||
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | – | – | – | – | ||||
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack | 4 | 2 | – | – | – | ||||
| 6th | +3 | Aura of Protection | 4 | 2 | – | – | – | ||||
| 7th | +3 | Sacred Oath feature | 4 | 3 | – | – | – | ||||
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 3 | – | – | – | ||||
| 9th | +4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | – | – | |||||
| 10th | +4 | Aura of Courage | 4 | 3 | 2 | – | – | ||||
| 11th | +4 | Improved Divine Smite | 4 | 3 | 3 | – | – | ||||
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 3 | 3 | – | – | ||||
| 13th | +5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | – | |||||
| 14th | +5 | Cleansing Touch | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | – | ||||
| 15th | +5 | Sacred Oath feature | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | – | ||||
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | – | ||||
| 17th | +6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | |||||
| 18th | +6 | Aura improvements | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | ||||
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | ||||
| 20th | +6 | Sacred Oath feature | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | ||||
What is a Paladin’s Primary Ability Score?
Strength is a Paladin’s primary ability score, followed closely by Charisma. Your character must have a Strength and Charisma score of 13 or higher to multiclass as a Paladin. This reflects the class’ focus on combat as well as their spiritual nature as servants of a higher power.
The higher your Strength and Charisma score, the more adept you are in battle. This is particularly important at higher levels as it directly influences new class features as well as your spellcasting abilities.
What is a Paladin’s Hit Die and Hit Points?
Paladin’s have 1d10 hit dice per level. This mean at 1st Level your Paladin’s hit points will be 10 + your Constitution modifier. Each level you advance from Level 2 onwards, you gain an additional 1d10 (or an average of 6) Hit Points, plus your Constitution modifier.
This Hit Dice breakout makes Paladins one of the more resilient classes, putting them on par with Fighters (who also have 1d10 Hit Dice). Only the Barbarian (with its hefty 1d12 hit dice) outclasses the Paladin in terms of damage resistance. For context, most spellcasters have either 1d6 or 1d8 hit dice, meaning that Paladins tend to perform well in frontline combat roles and are often viewed as the “tanks” of any party.
What are Paladins Proficient In?
Paladins have a unique set of skills that reflect their ability as elite holy warriors.
- Armor: All armor and shields
- Weapons: Simple weapons and martial weapons
- Tools: None
- Saving Throws: Wisdom and Charisma
- Skills: Choose two from Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Persuasion and Religion
What Equipment Do Paladins Start With?
As a Level 1 Paladin, you begin your adventures with the following equipment, in addition to any equipment provided by your background:
- A martial weapon and a shield or two martial weapons
- Five javelins or any simple melee weapon
- A priest’s pack or an explorer’s pack
- Chain mail and a holy symbol
What Unique Features Do Paladins Have?
As a Paladin, you’re able to access a number of unique Features that reflect your abilities as a warrior as well as the divine powers granted by your god.
- Divine Sense: As an action (and until the end of your next turn) you know the location of any celestial, fiend, or undead within 60 feet of you that is not behind total cover. You know the type of this being (i.e. celestial, fiend or undead) but not its identity (i.e. the Arch-lich Venca). Within the 60 foot radius you can also detect the presence of any place or object that has been consecrated or desecrated, as with the Hallow spell. You can use this feature a number of times equal to 1 + your Charisma modifier. When you finish a long rest, you regain all expended uses.
- Lay on Hands: As an action you can touch a creature (including yourself) and restore hit points. These hit points are taken from a “pool” equal to your paladin level x 5. For example, as a Level 2 Paladin you can have a total of 10 hit points which you can restore to others or yourself. You can use this as many times as you want, until the total in your hit point pool is reduce to zero (at which point you must take a long rest to recover them). Alternatively, you can expend 5 hit points from your pool of healing to cure the target of one disease or neutralize one poison affecting it. You can do this as many times as you wish (as long as you have hit points available in your pool). This feature has no effect on undead and constructs.
- Fighting Style: At 2nd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. (NOTE: You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you get to choose again later).
- Blessed Warrior: You learn two cantrips of your choice from the Cleric spell list. They count as Paladin spells for you, and Charisma is your spellcasting ability for them. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of these cantrips with another cantrip from the cleric spell list.
- Blind Fighting: You have blindsight with a range of 10 feet. Within that range, you can effectively see anything that isn’t behind total cover, even if you’re blinded or in darkness. Additionally, you can see an invisible creature within that range, unless the creature successfully hides from you.
- Defense: While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
- Dueling: When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.
- Great Weapon Fighting: When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can re-roll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.
- Interception: When a creature you can see hits a target, other than you, within 5 feet of you with an attack, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage the target takes by 1d10 + your proficiency bonus (to a minimum of 0 damage). You must be wielding a shield or a simple or martial weapon to use this reaction.
- Protection: When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.
- Divine Smite: At 2nd level, when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one spell slot to deal radiant damage to the target, in addition to the weapon’s damage. The extra damage is 2d8 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d8 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d8. The damage increases by 1d8 if the target is an undead or a fiend, to a maximum of 6d8.
- Divine Health: At 3rd level you are immune to disease.
- Extra Attack: At 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
- Aura of Protection: At 6th level, whenever you or a friendly creature within 10 feet of you must make a saving throw, the creature gains a bonus to the saving throw equal to your Charisma modifier (with a minimum bonus of +1). You must be conscious to grant this bonus. At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.
- Aura of Courage: At 10th level, you and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you can’t be frightened while you are conscious. At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.
- Improved Divine Smite: At 11th level whenever you hit a creature with a melee weapon, the creature takes an extra 1d8 radiant damage.
- Cleansing Touch: At 14th level, you can use your action to end one spell on yourself or on one willing creature that you touch. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (a minimum of once). You regain expended uses when you finish a long rest.
How does Paladin Spellcasting Work?
Unlike other magic users, such as Wizards and Sorcerers, who tap into arcane energies to cast their spells, Paladins are more closely associated with Clerics in that their magic is fuelled by the divine providence of the gods they serve. Because of this, Paladins are able to cast any spell they wish from the Paladin Spell list as long as they are of sufficient level. The number of Paladin spells you can have at any one time is equal to your Charisma modifier + half your paladin level, rounded down (you will always minimum of one spell).
To be able to use a spell, a Paladin “prepares” it each day by sitting in silent prayer for at least 1 minute per spell level. At that point the spell takes up a spell slot that corresponds with its level. At the end of a long rest, your Paladin can prepare new spells.
Notably, the “Oaths” (aka subclasses) a Paladin takes at Level 3 also grant specific “Oath Spells” which you always have prepared and which don’t count against the number of spells you can prepare each day. Your Oath also grants you the “Channel Divinity” ability which allows you to channel divine energy to fuel magical effects (see the Paladin Subclasses below).
Charisma is a Paladin’s primary spellcasting ability as follows:
- Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
- Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Paladins (along with Rangers) are officially “half-casters” which means that their spell list progression moves at half the speed as Wizards, Sorcerers, Bards and Druids (who are also known as “full casters”).
What are the Paladin Subclasses?
Currently, there are 9 official DnD 5e subclasses for the Paladin. These are known as “Oaths,” which represent the holy orders that a Paladin has taken and provide the framework for both your character’s abilities and your goals in life. Your character chooses your Oath subclass at Level 3.
- Oath of Conquest: Aimed at dominating enemies, this subclass grants spells and abilities to instill fear and control over the battlefield, allowing you to intimidate and overpower foes.
- Oath of Devotion: Centered on the ideals of honesty and courage, this subclass offers protective magic, the power to purge evil and the ability to protect and heal allies.
- Oath of Glory: Focused on the pursuit of fame and the embodiment of heroism, this subclass provides enhancements to physical prowess and leadership, allowing you to excel in athletic feats and inspire others during battle.
- Oath of Redemption: Focused on nonviolent solutions, you are able to access spells and abilities to protect yourself and your allies, while also using non-lethal attacks to slow enemies down.
- Oath of the Ancients: Dedicated to preserving the light and life found in nature, you can access abilities that heal and protect, as well as tapping into offensive spells that harness nature’s wrath.
- Oath of the Crown: Committed to the ideals of civilization and leadership, you are dedicated to protecting the lawful authority and those who serve it. Your abilities emphasize defense and control in combat.
- Oath of the Watchers: Designed to guard against the threats of extraplanar entities, you are able to hinder and combat creatures from other realms, with abilities centered around detection, containment and banishment.
- Oath of Vengeance: Focused on punishing evildoers, this subclass offers aggressive tactics and powers that enhance your ability to hunt down and destroy your enemies, emphasizing relentless offensive attacks.
- Oathbreaker: Tailored for paladins who have forsaken their oaths, this evil subclass provides powers to control and manipulate the undead, wield dread magics and command the shadows.
What DnD 5e Species are Best for Paladins?
While Paladins can hail from any species, those that enhance Strength or Charisma scores are typically seen as the best options due to the Paladin’s reliance on these abilities for combat and spellcasting. Below are a few species worth considering.
- Human: With the option to increase any ability score by 1, Humans offer remarkable adaptability for Paladins. They can boost their Strength for melee combat, Charisma for spellcasting and divine abilities, or even Constitution for greater resilience.
- Dragonborn: Dragonborn gain a +2 bonus to Strength and a +1 to Charisma, aligning perfectly with the Paladin’s need for physical power and charismatic leadership. Their Breath Weapon provides a versatile attack option, complementing the Paladin’s combat and magical abilities.
- Elf: The flexibility of a +2 bonus to Charisma and +1 to two other ability scores of choice makes Half-Elves exceptional Paladins. Their mixed heritage also grants them extra skills and resistance to being charmed, enhancing their utility and defense.
- Tiefling: With a natural +2 to Charisma and a +1 to Intelligence, Tieflings are well-suited for the Paladin class. Their inherent spellcasting abilities, including resistance to fire and the ability to cast hellish rebuke, add to their divine arsenal, allowing them to deal with threats in unique ways.
- Aasimar: Born of celestial heritage, Aasimars have a natural +2 to Charisma, making them born leaders and powerful spellcasters. Their Healing Hands and Radiant Soul abilities reinforce their role as divine warriors, capable of healing allies and dealing radiant damage to foes.
How Do You Roleplay a Paladin?
Paladins in DnD 5e are not just warriors of might, but of moral fortitude, sworn to uphold the virtues of their sacred oaths. Their complex blend of combat prowess, divine magic, and moral code offers a rich tapestry for roleplaying. Here are some character concepts to inspire your Paladin’s journey:
- Divine Avenger: You have taken the oath to avenge wrongs where the law has failed. Acting as judge and executioner, you pursue evildoers with relentless zeal, guided by a divine sense of justice that might sometimes challenge worldly morals.
- Champion of the People: Rooted deeply in the community you come from, you stand as the people’s protector, especially against tyranny and oppression. Your strength is your people’s strength, and you fight with both valor and a deep sense of community duty.
- Oathbound Enforcer: You have sworn a sacred vow to hunt down those who have broken the sacred oath to your god. Your purpose is clear and your methods in punishing these oathbreakers is unwavering.
- Watcher of the Veil: Tasked with monitoring and sealing breaches between worlds, you stand guard against entities that wish to cross into the material plane unlawfully. Your understanding of planar mechanics is unmatched.
- Knight of the Last Order: The last member of a fallen order, you carry on the traditions and responsibilities alone, seeking new members to continue your ancient cause.
- Reclaimer of the Shattered Shield: You seek out battlefields and sites of old conflicts to reclaim holy and historic artifacts, ensuring that they are respected and not left to be forgotten in the mud.
- Ghostly Sentinel: After a near-death experience, you are bound by a holy oath to guard the boundary between life and death. You specialize in combating undead and ethereal entities, using your ethereal insights and divine connection to interact with spirits.
- Exorcist of the Chain: Tasked with banishing entities that possess or corrupt, you are adept in rituals that sever the bonds between spirits and the material world, restoring peace to haunted locales.
- Harbinger of the Reckoning: Believing in a prophesized end times, you prepare the world for this ultimate test, rallying forces of good to maintain order and readiness.
- Justiciar of the Wastes: In the barren wastelands, you uphold law and order, bringing hope and justice to areas abandoned by society and plagued by bandits and monsters.
What DnD 5e sourcebooks do Paladins appear in?
While Paladins are one of the oldest Dungeons & Dragons classes, they have evolved considerably and are no longer quite as rigid as they once were in earlier editions. Below are the specific DnD 5e sourcebooks which govern their rules:
- Player’s Handbook: Includes base Paladin class, plus the Oath of the Ancients, Oath of Devotion and Oath of Vengeance.
- Dungeon Master’s Guide: Oathbreaker (under the Villainous Class Options).
- Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide: Oath of the Crown.
- Xanathar’s Guide to Everything: Oath of Conquest and Oath or Redemption.
- Mythic Odysseys of Theros: Oath of Glory.
- Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything: Oath of Glory (reprinted) and Oath of the Watchers.
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Cameron Nichols is a Senior Editor who lives in Boston, Massachusetts, and has been playing D&D since the early 90s, when he was introduced by his older brother and cut his teeth on AD&D 2nd Edition. Since then he’s played virtually every RPG he could get his nerdy little mitts on (including a weird Goth phase in the early 2000s when he rocked Vampire: The Masquerade pretty hard). His favorite D&D campaign setting is the Forgotten Realms and his favorite character to play was a Half-Orc Barbarian named Grug (who was unfortunately devoured by a gelatinous cube).
